Altai Tavan Bogd National Park

Mongolia's Highest Peaks and Ancient Rock Art

Covering more than 6,300 square kilometres at the point where Mongolia, Russia and China meet, Altai Tavan Bogd National Park protects the country’s five highest peaks, its longest glacier, and one of Central Asia’s richest concentrations of ancient rock art. Established in 1996, the park is named for the Tavan Bogd, or “Five Saints,” a cluster of permanently snow-capped summits crowned by Khuiten Peak at 4,374 metres, the highest point in Mongolia.

The Five Saints

The five peaks of Tavan Bogd — Khuiten (Cold Peak), Nairamdal, Ölgii, Malchin and Bürged — encircle the Potanin Glacier, Mongolia’s largest at roughly 20 kilometres long, named after the Russian explorer who first surveyed the range in the late 19th century. On a clear day, the summit of Khuiten offers views into Kazakhstan, over 30 kilometres away.

A UNESCO World Heritage Landscape

Within the park lies the Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning three locations — Tsagaan Salaa-Baga Oigor, Upper Tsagaan Gol and Aral Tolgoi. The Tsagaan Salaa valley alone holds an estimated 10,000 carvings spanning more than 12,000 years, recording the transition from Neolithic hunter-gatherers to the classic nomadic herding culture still practised in the region today.

Home to Kazakh and Tuvan Herders

The park’s valleys are seasonally home to Kazakh and Tuvan herding families, many of whom continue the tradition of hunting with golden eagles. Argali sheep, ibex, red deer and the elusive snow leopard roam the surrounding slopes, while golden eagles and bearded vultures patrol the skies above.

Gallery

• Trek to the base of Khuiten Peak, Mongolia's highest point
• Walk among 12,000 years of petroglyphs at Tsagaan Salaa
• Camp beside the Potanin Glacier
• Meet Kazakh eagle hunter families in their seasonal camps